The Arizona sentinel., 1887-07-02
HOTEL CHAMBERMAIDS.
Interesting Information About Their
 Duties, Privileges and Incomes.

feSenCatlVe or the CTUpbIc recently
 gleaned considerable information
 about class of women concerning
 whom very little is known by the pub
 lie at large-the hotel chambermaids.
 When. asked to give an estimate of the
 total number of chambermaids en-
 ployed in the hotels of New York, the
 housekeeper replied that there were
 just about as many of them as there
 were soldiers in the Seventh regiment,
 and that they accomplished more with
 their brooms and dusters in a week
 than the regiment could with their
 rifles and swords and cannon. (Evi-
 dently this good dame does not love
 the military.) The nationality of the
 chambermaids, as a class, is Irish,
 though occasionally German
 is found among them, and
 still less frequently a
 Swede. The latter have the highest
 reputation as servants, and are in great
 demand in private families. The ho-
 tels obtain most of their chambermaids
 at the agencies for servants, the adver-
 Using plan having long since proven a
 nuisance, because so many incompe-
 tent and undesirable girls apply for the vacancies. The wages of hotel cham
 bermaids range from $8 to $12 month.
 In nearly all cases they eat and sleep in the hotel, and most houses will not employ one who has family ties that necessitates her absence at night The
 average time of service among this class of servants is much greater than is generally supposed. A hotel cham
 bermaid who is faithful, competent and
 honest, can almost always hold her po- sition as long as she likes. In the ho- tel whose housekeeper furnished this information, there arc several cham bermaids whose record is fifteen years and over Three or four proprietors have come and gone; but these faith fui women have remained at their posts, doing their work efficiently, and thoroughly contented with their lot.
 It is not a.secret that tipping is very general on the upper floors of a hotel; almost as prevalent, in fact, as in the dining-room. Between their wages and these tips the chambermaids man. age to accumulate quite a goodly sum of money. Their wages are seldom squandered; on the contrary, many of the girls have substantial bank ac- counts, besides giving or sending a portion of their earnings to aged par ents or others partially dependent up- on them. There is considerable fa- voritism among the patrons of hotel, especially among the permanent boarders, toward particular chamber maids; and when one becomes favor ite her tips are naturally larger and more numerous. Boarders often in- sist upon having a certain chamber maid do their work because they have tried her before and know her to be honest and competent. As class these girls are reliable and can be trusted. Accusations against them are sometimes brought, but in nearly every case where mon- ey or articles have been purloined from a room it has been shown to be the work of some sneak thief. The systems in the large New York hotels are nowadays so perfect that dishonest chambermaid is soon discovered and cast out. As class, too, these girls have good morals. Nearly all of them are Roman Cath olics and regular attendants at church, while many are charitable to fault.
 There are usually no regulations as to how the hotel chambermaids shall dress, but each one takes pride in pre- senting as neat an appearance as pos sible. well knowing that she will prob- ably be the gainer sooner or later by so doing. The Brevoort House employs eight chambermaids, while the Fifth Avenue Hotel requires forty. The at the other houses range be- tween these limits. The hours of actual work are not long or tedious, most of the girls finishing their GUS tomary labors before three O clock in the afternoon. In addition to these duties, however, is the night watch, at which the girls take turns. This night watch consists of one girl on each floor at large hotels, while at houses of smaller size, two chambermaids are usually sufficient to constitute the night force for the entire building. This night service is absolutely necessary, because in a transient hotel rooms frequently have to be changed and put in order for new occupants in the middle of the night or early in the morning: When -he daily duties are finished the girls are generally at liberty to go out. Each always has at least one walking lress, and some appear on the street in such trim attire that no one would take hem for domestics. Whenever is taken sick she is care- fully looked after by the housekeeper, and, if necessary, attended by the lotefs physician. If her disease is of ! dangerous and contagioua character ,he is removed to a hospital, and | treated therefor. N r. GrG- ,hic.
 The authorities at Vienna recently | ook it into their heads to impose tax